Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a light-emitting diode (LED), and more particularly, to an LED driver, an LED lighting apparatus, and a method of operating the LED lighting apparatus.
In daily life, fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps using an alternating current (AC) power source are generally used. In particular, fluorescent lamps are frequently used because of their power-efficiency and improved luminance. Lighting apparatuses may be provided in any location where a power source is provided and installation is convenient. As the demand for the lighting apparatuses increases and the lighting apparatuses are applied to a greater variety of fields, power load is also increased gradually due to power consumed by the lighting apparatuses. Therefore, much effort has been expended to reduce power consumption.
An LED is a semiconductor device configured to emit light when a predetermined current is applied thereto. As vacuum tubes have evolved into transistors and large scale integration (LSI) devices, lighting apparatuses are expected to rapidly evolve from incandescent lamps (i.e., a second generation light source) and fluorescent lamps (i.e., a third generation light source) to LEDs (i.e., a fourth generation light source), which are a semiconductor light source. Also, LEDs are eco-friendly because they have a longer lifespan than other light sources, highly efficient, small, light-weight, and do not use mercury. Therefore, LEDs are quickly replacing other light sources.